Burial casket



J. JACQUES BURIAL GASKET June 2, 1936.

1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov'. ll

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June 2, 1936. 1 JACQUES 2,042,849

BURIAL GASKET Filed Nov. ll, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES:

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Filed NOV. ll, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 v Wl TNESSES- @wir JNVENTOR:

TORNEYS.

Patented June 2, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to burial caskets, and itv is more especially concerned with burial caskets of the type in which only the upper parts of the bodies placed within them are exposed to view. 5 Caskets of the kind referred to, as heretofore constructed, were provided with divided lids composed of sections whereof the contiguous edges abutted in transverse joints which were diicult to seal and therefore vulnerable to entrance of air and water.

The chief aim of my invention is to obviate the above contingency, which objective I realize y in practice, as 'hereinafter more fully set forth, through provision of an auxiliary half lid for concealing the lower portion of the body placed in the casket, in addition to a full lid adapted to close over the half lid and to seal all around with the top edge of the casket proper.

Another aim of my invention is to provide, in connection with a casket having the foregoing attributes, means whereby it can'be arranged for half couch effects with the shroud provided for covering the body, overhanging the free edges of the open portion of the casket at the head end beyond the auxiliary cover.

Other objects and attendant advantages will appear from the detailed description which follows of the attached drawings, wherein Fig. I is a perspective view of my improved casket with the 'main lid open.

Fig. II is a view like Fig. I with the wings, whereby the couch effect is obtained, swung up in readiness for the closing of the casket.

Fig. III is a plan view of the casket closed with a portion of the main lid broken away to show the underlying parts.

Fig. IV is a plan view of the casket opened; and

Figs. V and VI are fragmentary cross sectional views taken as indicated respectively by the arrows V-V and VI-VI in Fig. III.

As herein illustrated, my improved burial casket is fashioned from sheet metal, and comprises a full length centrally raised main lid I, and a centrally raised auxiliary half lid 2 adapted to 45 conceal the lower part 0f a body placed within the base 3. The main lid I may be made separable from the casket base 3, or, as shown in Figs. III, IV and V, it may be connected by hinges d to one of the longitudinal edges of said base. 'I'he auxiliary lid 2 may on the other hand be permanently secured to the base 3, or, as shown, connected by hinges 5 preferably, as shown in Figs. IV and V, to the same longitudinal edge of said base as the main lid I to facilitate placement of the body into the casket. Securing devices of a suitable type such as indicated at 8 may be used for fastening the main lid I In closed position. When the auxiliary cover 2 is hinged, self-latching securing devices 'I are employed to fasten it down in closed position. For the purposes of ornamentation and in order to clear the bulging padding and trimming 8 on the main lid I, the auxiliary lid 2 is finished with a concaved molding as at 9 along its sides and its foot end.

With the casket arranged as in Figs. I and IV,

i that is to say, with the main lid I open and the auxiliary lid 2 closed, obviously only the upper part of a body lying Within the base 3 is exposed to view. Upon shutting the main lid I over the auxiliary lid 2 preparatory to interment, the casket is completely closed with said main lid compressing the usual yielding packing (not shown) along the top edges of the base 3, whereby an effective seal is formed against the entry of air or moisture. Accordingly, through my invention, I obviate the leaky transverse joints characteristic of caskets made as heretofore in which the main lids were divided with the contiguous edges of the component sections abutting in a transverse line when closed.

For the purposes of half couch effects, I provide the casket along its head end and along its front longitudinal edge beyond the auxiliary lid 2, with hinge-attached wings I0 and II, see Figs. II, IV, and VI. The contiguous ends of the wings I0 and II are beveled as at Illa and IIa so as to meet in a miter joint as shown in Fig. II. The wings I0 and II are adapted to be swung outlward and downward as shown in full lines in Fig. IV and in dotted lines in Fig. VI to support the usual quilt or shroud cloth I2 which is used to cover the body before closing of the casket. Preferably, the wings Ill and I I are concaved in cross section for graceful draping of the quilt or shroud cloth I2 when lowered, and in order to form a flush continuation of the edge configuration of the auxiliary lid when said wings are raised as in Figs. II, III, and VI. Also as shown, the contiguous ends of the wings I0 and II have mitered ends and meet in a closed joint when raised.

While I have employed the word half in connection with the auxiliary lid, this term is not to be construed literally since said lid can be made to any length desired.

My invention is of course not be considered as limited to a casket of the particular design herein disclosed by way of illustration, nor to the precise details of construction shown, since these can obviously be varied extensively within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. In a. burial casket the combination of a full length sealing lid; an auxiliary inner half lid for concealing, at the time of exhibition, the lower part of a body placed within the casket; and wings respectively connected to the edges of the casket beyond the half lid with capacity for bethe casket, said auxiliary lid being hingedly con-v nected to the same edge of the casketl as the full length lid.

3. In a burial casket the combination of a full length sealing lid hinged along one of the 1ongitudinal edges of the casket; an auxiliary inner 20 half lid for concealing, at the time of exhibition,

the lower part of a body placed within the casket, said auxiliary lid being hingedly connected to the same edge of the casket as the full length lid; and wings respectively connected to the casket beyond the half lid with capacity for being swung outward to produce a half couch effect.

4. In a. burial casket the combination of a centrally-raised full length lid; an auxiliary inner half lid for concealing, at the time of exhibition, the lower part of a body placed within the casket, said lid being centrally raised and having molded edges; and wings hinged to the side and end edges of the casket beyond the half lid with capacity for being swung outward and downward to produce a half couch effect, said wings having mtered ends and a cross sectional conguration corresponding to the edge moulding of the half lid so as to form a ush continuation of the latter when swung inward.

JEAN JACQUES. 

